EU: onwil Kroatië tegenover Joegoslavië-tribunaal kan toetreding vertragen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS  The EU could delay membership talks with Croatia if Zagreb does not step up co-operation with the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

In a stark warning to Zagreb, which is due to start EU talks on 17 March, enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on Monday (31 January) said "if the Commission were to give its recommendations on the basis of todays information, I could not recommend opening negotiations with Croatia".

"I trust the Croatian government will take this message seriously", added the Commissioner.

Lack of political will in Zagreb

The warning centres around the handing over to the Hague court of indicted general Ante Gotovina, the UN courts third most wanted fugitive.

Mr Rehn accused Zagreb of deliberately failing to arrest General Gotovina.

General Gotovina disappeared the day before the tribunal made public his indictment, in July 2001, and has not been found since.

He is indicted for killings during and after Zagreb's final offensive against rebel Serbs in August 1995.

Following contacts with Carla del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at the criminal tribunal, the European Commission believes that the Croatian government has had some contact with the general.

"On the basis of the information I have received & the Croatian government has been at least in indirect contact with General Gotovina", said Mr Rehn.

Mr Rehn characterised 'indirect contact' as talks concerning whether General Gotovina would surrender voluntarily.

The Commissioner said he had "reason to assume" that the general is either in Croatia or "in any case within the reach of the Croatian government".

He said that if the Croatian government had the political will to hand over the general, "it would do so".

For its part, Zagreb insists that the 49-year-old has fled the country.

Gotovina's lawyer Luka Misetic said earlier this month that his client would surrender if his case was transferred to a Croatian court - this was dismissed by the UN prosecutors.

With Mondays warning, the Brussels executive is following up on statements made by EU leaders in December, when they made the decision that talks would be opened with Zagreb.

An important year

Mr Rehn's words come ahead of a visit by Mrs del Ponte to Brussels on Thursday to brief the European Commission President on the extent to which Balkan countries are co-operating with the tribunal.

The enlargement commissioner also drew attention to the wider region on Monday saying 2005 is a "very important year" for the Western Balkans.

Macedonia is due to complete an important step in its wish to open membership negotiations with the EU by handing over a set of replies to a European Commission questionnaire dealing with all aspects of EU policy.

These answers, due to be handed in on 14 February, will form the basis of a Commission opinion on its EU membership prospects.